Bridge Street Live: Intense Rivalries

Since before the start of the American Revolution, Boston and New York have shared an intense rivalry as cities. For more than a century after the American Revolution, Boston was arguably the educational, cultural, artistic, and economic power in the United States. Boston's location and its concentration of elite schools and manufacturing hubs helped maintain this image for several decades. During this time period, New York was often looked down upon as the upstart, over-populated, dirty cousin to aristocratic and clean Boston.

The Red Sox were one of the most successful teams in baseball from 1901 to 1918. They won the inaugural World Series in 1903 and 1918; The Sox sold several players, including pitcher-turned-outfielder Babe Ruth, to the Yankees. Boston received $125,000 and a loan of $300,000—secured on Fenway Park, the Red Sox' home stadium—for Ruth.

Ruth's arrival in New York simultaneously launched the Yankee dynasty while ravaging the Red Sox. While the Red Sox' five World Series titles were a record at the time, 1918 would be the team's last championship for 86 years. Meanwhile, Ruth's home run-hitting prowess anchored the Yankee line-up, which became known as "Murderers' Row" in the late 1920s. The Yankees reached the World Series seven times during Ruth's New York years, winning four. This abrupt reversal of fortunes for the Red Sox marked the beginning of the supposed "Curse of the Bambino". But it was not the Ruth deal alone that reversed the fortunes of both clubs.

Baseball is no different from any of the other sports: Football- after conference title games played in frigid conditions Sunday Feb 4, 2008, record-breaking quarterback Tom Brady and the perfect New England Patriots will take on Eli (the other) Manning and the hot-at-the-right time New York Giants in a rematch in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz. The New York Giants beat the Patriots perfect season.

In Hockey one of the strongest rivalries were: Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers - teams in Eastern United States as well as basketballs legendary teams Knicks and Celtics: Sam Goldaper of the New York Times described the crux of the problem in a 1988 article: "Bostonians and New Yorkers have argued over their cities' respective merits and accomplishments since before the Revolution. They have tried to outdo each other in politics, science, art and almost everything else.” The rivalry between the Knicks and the Celtics is no exception—though many avid basketball fans have no idea where the enmity between our beloved teams began.Some say that it was the original matchups between the poor, Walter Brown-owned Celtics and the rich, Ned Irish-owned Knicks. Others claim it was the years of beatings the Knicks took at the hands of the Celtics during their “Golden Era" and the revenge exacted by the Willis Reed-led Knicks of the early 70s. Reed once said, "I only hoped I would live long enough to come to the Boston Garden and beat [the Celtics'] pants off."

New York and Boston Rivalry has been around since this country was founded not just in sports, bootleggers and politics but also on the comedy front. With different styles each city has produced the best comics in the world. Boston has had amazing rapid fire comics as: Steven Wright, Denis Leary, Jay Leno, Louis C.K., Dane Cook, Bill Burr, Lenny Clarke, Conan O’Brien, John Pinette, Doug Stanhope, Robert Kelly, Mike Birbiglia, Gary Gulman, Nick DiPaolo, Mario Cantone, Dana Gould, Don Gavin, and the list continues.

New York is the breeding ground for talent and most comics will spend time there if they want to become famous. New York born Comics include: Jackie Gleason, Colin Quinne, Rodney Dangerfield, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Kaufman, Andrew Dice Clay, Adam Sandler, Albert Brooks, Alan King, Ray Romano, Kevin James, Greg Giraldo, Woody Allen, Rosie O’Donnel, George Carlin, Larry David, Al Frankin, Eddie Murphy and many more.